Red Dead Redemption 2 & Bully 2 Teased

Rockstar Games has a huge fanbase, which is unsurprising considering some of the standout games it has produced over the years.

But alongside GTA 5 – which it is due for release on 17 September 2013 – it’s clear that Rockstar will have something else in development, and these teases suggest some of the developer’s favourite franchises are due sequels.

Red Dead Redemption 2

First off is Red Dead Redemption 2 – or whatever it will be called – which CEO of Take Two Strauss Zelnick suggests could be one of the company’s ‘permanent franchises’.

“Our goal is to try to create permanent franchises, that’s the unique goal in the industry. Our competitors do not see it that way. Our competitors’ view is that our franchise will have a certain life, and at the end of that life, you move onto the next thing, so you better make hay while the sun shines. Our view is to the contrary.

“And it’s been our goal not just to preserve and grow the Grand Theft Auto franchise, but also to build other franchises that we think can be permanent, whether that’s the Red Dead franchise or the Borderlands franchise or the BioShock franchise or others, Civilization, for example.”

Zelnick added that “I think in certain instances, we’d like to see releases paced a little more closely together” suggesting that we might not have to wait so long for Red Dead Redemption 2. It could even be next-gen.

“I don’t really think next-gen is going to change the production approach sufficiently, that will be the difference that makes the difference,” said Zelnick.

Bully 2

Zelnick never mentioned a bully sequel, however a recent trademark registration suggests it is something that Rockstar and Take Two is still considering.

The trademark offers no new or relevant information, just the rights to use the word ‘Bully’ as a videogame and related merchandise.

In 2011, Rockstar’s Dan Houser suggested that a Bully sequel could be in the works at Rockstar Vancouver, the developers of Max Payne 3 (and, coincidentally, Bully).

“We knew that we didn’t want to start doing the Bully sequel instantly at that second with those guys,” said Houser in an interview with Gamasutra, “even though it is a property that, like Max, we adore and might come back to in the future.

“There was just no impetus to do that then.”

Houser added: “So we said, “You can do Max, and then we will see what we can do with Bully.” So it was really waiting for the slot to open up and the group to open up to at least start work on it.”

Perhaps that slot has opened up, then, and Rockstar Vancouver is now hard at work on Bully 2. We can only hope so.